Inclined elevators built up to now have at least two rails which must run exactly parallel to each other and for this reason are mounted as a rule on ties, lying on prepared gravel beds, in flattened terrain or on continuous bridge structures.
Moreover, known inclined elevators are moved mostly via steel cables, which can be turned and driven only by large-diameter pulleys; therefore the counterloads or balancing loads are usually formed as second vehicles and require either a divided runway or complicated switches.
In order to achieve a friction contact between the hoisting cable and the drive wheel, as required for the drive in known installations, in the case of steep terrain driven pulleys are required, also very expensive constructions for the drive, and the foundations and powerhouses required for these drives. Other drive systems are built as cable winches, whereby a traction cable is wound by means of a motor on likewise very large machines. Previously, inclined elevators have been built with water in a counterweight.
A circular steel chain is used with good results as a traction element in elevators of all types, whereby the chains running from the drive is either free hanging or remains suspended several times or is stored in a chain case.